Gravity-operated coaster



H. P. SCHMECK GRAVITY OPERATED COASTER May s, 1928.

Filed Dec. 20. 1926 I5 Sheets-Sheet P H. P. SCHMECK GRAVITY OPERATED COASTER May s, 1928; 1,669,347

Filed Dec. 20. 1926 a Sheets-Sheet s Patented May 8; 1928 UNITED LPORATION or'rnnnsynvmvm. I

P ATETNT' (H -F16E nnnzennr r. sonmnox, or rnrnannnrnmi rems szwasm, ASSIGNOR ro PHELP- DELPHIA 'roisoeeAN' GOMIEANY,'01? PHILADELPHIA,"PENNSYLVANIA; A 003-;

GRAVITY-OPERATED eons'mm;

Application filed December 20, 1926.,"Ser'ia1'No. 155cm;

My invention relatestoiamusement systems, and it has particular relation to ity-operated coaster apparatus.

One object of my invention is to provide coaster, wherein the friction of thefianged wheels while traversing acurved track section is reduced to a minimum value.

Another object of my invention is to provide means, WllGl'Bbytlle .wheelshaits ornan amusement coaster may be maintained sub- 7 stantially parallel with the radialilines of the curved track section, so that thetendency fol-the flanges oi the wheels to grind against said curved track may be greatly decreased.

Other objects and applications of my invention, as well as detailsoi' construction and operation, i whereby my invention may a be practiced, will be apparent'more fully hereinafter, when taken in connection withthe accompanying drawing, wherein a Fig. 1 is a side elevational view of agrav ity-0perated coaster embodying my invention; a

Fig. 2 is a transverse, sectional --view taken on the lineII-II of -Fig. 1 y

Fig; 3 is a top plan vview of the trucks of Fig. 2, the body being shown in ldot anddash lines; and a Figs.- 4 and 5 are enlarged; detail, inverted plan and side elevational views of one of the wheel-supportingunits. v i Referring to Fig 1' of the drawings, a gravity-operated coaster 1 is provided with a plurality of flangedwheels 2 disposedin seats 11 and 12 which are mountedon spaced elongated side beams l3 and 1 1 respectively, restingon upper edges of a pair of side wall beams 15 and 16 [interconnected by "a floor 17. A pair of beams 18- and 19 are mounted inspaced relation on'one side "21 of e the coaster immediately adjacent to the side beam 14 to providea wheelchamber 22. A

running board 23 is secured on the edge oftheibeams 18 and 19, while a pair of spaced base plates 2 1 and 25 having central openings 26' through which the wheels 2 may extend yarel mountedon the lower edge of beams18 and 19, shownin Fig. 1.

1 A similar construction is providedon an opposite, side 27 oiithe coaster; a running board 28 being mounted on a pair' of beams 29 and 31 spaced to receive the car wheels 2, as illustrated in 2. A pair otbase plates 32, 32 are mounted. on a loweredge of the; spaced beams29 and 31, as in the'case of the basewplates and25, and they are provided with perforations 33 through which the wheels 2 may extend into the wheel space intermediate the beams '29 and 81. d x l The wheels 2 of the rear, pair of wheels a adjacent togthe'side 21 of the coaster are provided-with a shaft 3 1 that is mounted in bearings 35 cand 36 supported in spaced depending side flanges 37 and 38. These flanges constitute integral portions of a bracket member, 39 having a central opening" 41 for: the wheels 52 substantially in alignment -with the," opening 26 in plate '24. An upper side 42 of the bracket member 39 is adapted to engage slidably an adjacent underside 13 of the base plate 2 1 and it may be suppiortedclamped in this position by'end plates Hand. 45,.respectivelyiwhich are secured by bolts 16 to the said base plate 2 1-.

The rearend plate 45 is preferablyprovided vwith a recess 47 adapted toreceive a rear end portion 18 of thebracket member 39; as; shown in Fig. 5. A lower wall 49 of the recess 47 is clamped in slidable en- 'gagement with an adjacent bearing side'5 l 520i the recess 49'is formed complementary to a curved wall 53 of the end portion 48,.

Arr enlarged aperture is formed in the end portion d8 forthe receipt-ofa central portio'n55 of aking pin 56.' Upper and lower thebase plate Qeand the end plate 45. Thus,

underside 43: oi v of the end portion 48. An arouate side wall 1 a pivotal mounting is afforded the end portion 48 of the bracket 39, movement being in a substantially horizontal plane transversely of the coaster.

The front end plate 44 is similarly provided with a recess 62, forming a supporting or clamping shoulder 63 for a projecting end portion 6% of the bracket member 39. The end portion (it has a curved wall 65 and the recess 62 a complementary side wall 66. The swinging or pivotal movement of the bracket 39 may be limited by means of a projecting shoulder 67 which extends from the curved side wall 66 of the recess 62 into a recess 68 formed in the adjacent end portion 64 of the bracket 39. The length of the recess 68 is such that the wheels 2 may move to the right or left of their mid position an amount suflicient to permit the flange of the wheel 2 to be maintained tangent to the curvature of the track, all as will appear hereinafter in greater detail. The opposite wheel 2 oi? the rear pair 4: is similarly mounted on a hinged bracket (59 andpositioned in abutting relation to an underside 71 of the base plate 32.

In accordance with by invention, each of the bracket members 39 and 69 are interconnected by a tie bar 72, the opposite ends of Which extend through the wall beams 15 and 16 and are pivotally connected by pins 73 and 74 to extensions 75 and 76 from the brackets 39 and 69, respectively. The bar 72 may be positioned substantially in the upper horizontal bearing surface 42 of the bracket members 39 and 69, respectively. Hence, a transverse movement of one of the rear wheels 2 caused by the passage of the coaster over the curved track section 9 is imparted to the other so that the shafts 34 of these Wheels are maintained substantially inalignment with the radial lines otthe track curvatures. The wheel flanges, there fore, are prevented from grinding against the curved portions of the track structure and a proper relation betweenthe wheels and track structure assumed.

The wheels 2 in the front pair 3 are similarly' s'wingingly supported and interconof my invention, for the purpose of describing the same and illustrating its principles of construction and operation, it is apparent that various changes and modifications may be made therein, without departing from the spirit of my invention, and I desire, therefore, that only such limitations shall be imposed thereon as are indicated in the ap pended claims or as are demanded by the prior art.

I claim:

1. Amusement apparatus comprising a curved track, a car'body having a p'air of wheels movable over said track, means for independently swingingly mounting said car wheels, means including a tie bar, whereby a swinging movement of one wheel may. be imparted ,to the other, and means operatively associated with said first-mentioned means for limiting said swinging movement.

2. gravity operated amusement system comprising a curved track, a car body, a pa r of flanged wheels, means including a pair of brackets, whereby said wheels may beswmgingly mounted on said car body, a tie bar secured to said brackets, whereby said flanges may be maintained in a tangentialtrelation to thecurvatures of saidv track as said car body moves over the same, and means independent of said tie bar for limiting the swinging movement of at least one of said brackets.

3. In a gravity-operated coaster system, the combination with a curvedtrack, of a car body,a pair of wheels for said car body having axles, supporting brackets for said axles, means for swingingly mounting said brackets at one end and slidably mounting the same at the other end, and a tie bar connected to said brackets to insure a desired relationship between the wheel axles and the radius of curvature of said track.

4. ln an amusement railway system, the combination with a curved track, of a car body, a pair of flanged wheels, shafts for said wheels, supporting brackets for said shafts, means including a pair of end members affording said brackets a hinged mounting at one end and a slidable mounting at the other end, and a tie bar having the ends thereof pivotally mounted on said brackets, respectively, whereby said axles may be maintained in the radial lines of said curved track as said car body traverses the same- 5. A coaster comprising a car body, a car wheel, a supporting bracket for said, wheel, and means including a pair of spaced clamping members, affording one end of said bracket a hinged mounting and the other end a guiding surface.

6. A coaster comprising a car body, a car wheel, a supporting bracket for said car wheel, means afiording said bracket a pivotal mounting at one end and a slidable mounting at the other end, and means for limiting the pivotal movement of said bracket.

7. Anamusement car having a wheel, a bracket for supporting said wheel, a base member, and means whereby said bracket 7 -ma be positioned in operative relation to sai base member, said means comprising a pair of members recessed to receive the end portions of said bracket and means for sei i of supporting Wheels for said coaster, each of said wheels having a bracket, means affording said bracket a limited swinging movement, and means whereb the swinging movement of one Wheel may e imparted to the other,

9. In an amusement system, the combination with a curved track, of a coaster and a pair of-supporting wheels for said coaster, each of said wheels having .a bracket, a base section and a pair of clamping members for securing said bracket in sliding relation to said base section.

10. A wheel, a supporting bracket therefor having an upper bearing surface adapted to engage slidably a base member and a whereby said bracket may be mounted, and means associated wi posite end of said bracket for limiting t e pivotal movement thereof.

11. A base plate, (a wheel-supportin bracket and means for mounting said bracket in slidable engagement with said base plate comprising a pair of end plates recessed to receive ends of said bracket and removably clamped to said base plate and a. pivot pin operatively associated with said bracket and one of said end plates, the other of said end plates having a projectingfhoulder and the co-operating end of said racket member having a recess for said shoulder, whereby said bracket may have a limited movement only.

12; The combination with a wheel-supporting bracket member, of a base structure, and means for mounting said bracket memher in operative relation to said base structure, said means comprising a pair of end members recessed to receive end portions of said bracket member, said bracket member and one of said end membershaving co-acting portions adapted to limit the movement I of said bracket member.

HERBERT P. SCHMEOK.

ivotally tli the o 

